


Fresh Snow

by Crollalanza



Series: Advent Winter Challenge [2]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-11
Updated: 2019-12-11
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:21:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,050
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21756778
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crollalanza/pseuds/Crollalanza
Summary: Her first kiss with Kiyoko both refreshes and wakes something inside of Yui, something that until that moment she hadn’t realised existed. The possibility of an uncharted landscape, a future unplanned and undominated by others, a vastness consisting only of them.
Relationships: Michimiya Yui/Shimizu Kiyoko
Series: Advent Winter Challenge [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1565479
Comments: 8
Kudos: 19
Collections: Haikyuu Cold and Cozy Bingo





	Fresh Snow

**Author's Note:**

  * For [strikinglight](https://archiveofourown.org/users/strikinglight/gifts).

> Part of my advent/winter bingo challenge. The prompt for this was Fresh Snow, which became the fic title. Thank you Meg for the prompt.

It’s summer when they first kiss, stretched on a blanket in the park. Yui feels the sun on her limbs is nothing compared to the heat Kiyoko imparts to her, and she melts into the embrace. Kiyoko’s palms are cool, her lips too, and it’s rather like she’s stepping onto fresh snow. Not that she’s cold, more that the kiss both refreshes and wakes something inside of her, something that until that moment she hadn’t realised existed. The possibility of an uncharted landscape, a future unplanned and undominated by others, a vastness consisting only of them.

On hearing voices, they break apart, and the dazzling white fades to the scorched yellow and green of the grass under them. They link little fingers and smile benignly at a group of children kicking a ball as they run.

“How was Tokyo?” Yui asks, wincing because she’s already asked this.

Kiyoko doesn’t seem to mind and smiles as if remembering. “Fun but exhausting. The other managers were friendly and the boys played … um … well, they’re improving.” Pausing, she edges closer. “How are you?”

“Bored mainly. Far too much free time on my hands, even with the cafe shifts. I’m glad you’re back.”

“I’m glad to be back,” she murmurs, but her eyes are focused on some spot in the distance as if she’s working out a puzzle.

And that’s the difference between them now. Kiyoko still has an aim, a purpose to organise and drive that team as best she can. But Yui is meandering through long grass, her legs snagging on weeds as she tries to negotiate a new path.

“It’s quiet again,” Kiyoko says, her voice soft as a breeze, and her fingers drift to Yui’s arm.

Turning on her side, Yui inches towards her , and as she surrenders her lips for another kiss, a second footprint appears in the snow, another step forward towards steadier ground.

It’s a summer of snatched moments, but it’s nothing compared to the fleeting attempts during autumn. As the leaves turn to gold, Kiyoko’s schedule intensifies with training, and matches, and parents nagging at her that she should have dropped all this and concentrated on her school year. She texts Yui to apologise for missing a date, and instead they make time for a quick hot chocolate after evening practise.

“How are they doing?” Yui asks, knowing she has to get this out of the way first.

“Practises are out of this world. The improvement is beyond what we could have dreamt.” She sips at her chocolate then dabs at the corner of her mouth with a napkin. “You’ll come and watch us, won’t you?”

“As many games as I can,” she replies, and knows she sounds wistful when Kiyoko leans over and takes her hand.

“If it’s painful—”

“It’s not. Or it won’t be,” she says shaking her head. “I guess I’m just stuck right now, not knowing which way’s forward.”

“And I’m so tunnel-visioned right now, I can’t see beyond December.”

“Not even to January and Spring High?”

“Hush! I can’t tempt fate like that, Asahi will kill me!” She sighs mournfully, then shares a laugh. “How about a movie this weekend?”

Winter brings snow flurries, but nothing that settles. The evenings draw in early, dark and dank, so Yui takes the bus home instead of walking, and misses the hot chocolate dates at the café because now Kiyoko is extra busy, raising funds and keeping morale high for the Prefecture Champions.

Champions. She can’t quite believe it happened, and yet she was there and witnessed it. She watched Sawamura lead his team to victory and was struck by his certainty, the same way she was struck by his confidence at Junior High. She doesn’t think ‘if only’ because those days are long gone. Instead there’s pride by association and the very real joy that Kiyoko is so happy she’s flying as high as the other crows.

They celebrate with cakes at Kiyoko’s house, curled up on the sofa until her parents return home.

“Asahi suggested we go to the shrine on New Year’s Day,” Kiyoko says. “He wants us to share our fortunes and wishes.”

“Are the whole team going?” Yui asks, wondering of the girls’ team will want to join them.

“No, it’s just us third years. Come along, they won’t mind.”

She shakes her head. It’s true _they_ won’t mind, but she would. Their path is not hers. “I’ll have to go with my parents,” she says, with an exaggerated eyeroll. “But make sure you tell me all about it afterwards.”

They part on the doorstep, risking a brief kiss while Kiyoko’s parents are chattering away in the kitchen.

“When this is over, we’ll have all the time in the world.”

“Don’t wish it away too fast,” Yui warns. “Enjoy every moment.”

She turns up the collar of her coat and wraps her scarf tight about her neck. It’s starting to snow and the wind is biting, yet when Yui looks back over her shoulder, Kiyoko is still at the open door waving goodbye.

It’s been three days since the team returned. Yui wakes up that third morning to find the snow thick on the ground and a text from Kiyoko.

[[Fancy a walk? I’ll bring hot chocolate]]

So they meet in the park. It’s barely light and the snow is unbroken on the ground. On the sidelines they lean against the fence, their shoulders touching.

“It looks so beautiful,” Kiyoko says, her eyes on the blanket before them. “And scary too.”

“Scary?”

“Unmarked. I’m afraid to take the first step in case I ruin the … aesthetic,” she replies, half mocking. Then she sighs. “I don’t quite know what to do with myself. I’m handing over to Yachi today and then … it’s done. It’s so daunting.”

“You have everything ahead of you, Kiyoko,” Yui whispers and clasps her hand. “And I’m here.”

“Thank you for waiting. For understanding.”

There’s a pause in the air. Yui turns her face towards Kiyoko, takes in the profile and the glisten of a tear on her lower lash. Leaning across she presses her lips to Kiyoko’s cheek. Then she tugs on her hand, pulling until they’ve both stepped on the grass. “It’s not as daunting if we do it together,” she says. “Come on.”


End file.
